Cable railway mechanism



(No Model.) 3 Shee-ts-S11eet 1.

L. J. HIRT. CABLE RAILWAY MEGHANISM.

No. 550,616. Patented Dec. 3, 1895.

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ANDREW B GRAKAMJHOTO-LTTMO WASHINGTON!) C (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- L. J. HIRT.

GABLE RAILWAY MEGHANISM- Y Patented Dec. 3,

Wnesses:

M M w \NDREW B GRAHAM,PHOTO-UTHO.WASHINGTON DC.

(No ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

L. J. HIRT. CABLE RAILWAY MECHANISM.

No; 550,616. 3 Patented 1390.6} 1895 44/44 Mna Z1 NITE STATES l PATENTOFFICE.

. LOUIS J. HIRT, OF'BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CABLE-RAILWAY M ECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 550,616, dated December3, 1895.

Application filed December 13, Serial No. 531,644. (No model-l I Toalltuhom it mag concern.-

of the United States, and a resident of Brookline, in the county ofNorfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cable-Railway Mechanism, of which the following is aspecification.

My improvement refers tomechanism technically called a gipsy-wheel forplacing the cable within the jaws of a grip in position for engagementtherewith; and it consists in a novel construction and operation of themechanism by which it is greatly simplified and cheapened and renderedmore effecttual.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is aplan view of the mechanism in position in the pit under the road-bed.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation,partly in section, through the line 3 3; and Fig. 4 is a sectionalelevation through the line 4 4, Fig. 2.

When the car is shunted from one track to the other for the return-tripat the terminus of the road, the grip mustbe disconnected from one cableand then connected with the other or return cable; and the object of themechanism here described is to place this return-cable in the jaws ofthe grip, after the car has been shunted, in position to be gripped andconnected with the car. This mechanism is situated in a pit or cavityA,constructed in the road-bed under the rails B B. Lengthwise of the pitand at one side of the central slot between the slot-rails C O is arock-shaft 1, supported in suitable bearings 2; Along the rear end ofthis rock-shaft and connected to the latter by the arms 3 is a rod 4,extending parallel to the shaft fonsome distance. The location of theshaft 1 and the length of the arms 3 are such that the rod 4 is directlybeneath the slot in the slot-rails O O, as shown in Fig. 3, and thus inline with the grip and at such a distance from the surface of theroad-bed that the bottom of the grip will strike and press down the baras it passes over it. On the rock-shaft 1, near its front end, ismounted the arm 5, extending downward toward the bottom of the pit andterminating in the bifurcated jaw 6. The direction of this arm withrespect to the bar4is such that as the bar is pressed down, andconsequently j the rock-shaft 1 revolved, the arm 5 will be Be it knownthat I, LOUIS J. HIRT, a citizen turned in a direction away from theline of the central slot and toward the side of the pit. Extendingacross the pit beneath the rock-shaft 1 is a shaft 7, supported inbearings 8 8, so as to slide therein. This shaft is slid back and forthin its bearings by the arm 5, the lower bifurcated end of which engageswith the pin 9 onthe collar 10 on the shaft. As will be seen from Fig.4, as the rock{shaft 1 is revolved, and thus the arm 5 swung in adirection away from or toward the line of the central slot, the shaft 7will be moved in a corresponding direction.

, On the shaft 7 is the wheel 11, provided with a deep-groovedperiphery, capable of retaining and guiding the cable. The location ofthe wheel 11 on the shaft is such that when the parts are at rest intheir normal position the wheel will be at one side of the central slotbetween the rails G O and out of line of the grip-jaws, and when theshaft is slid toward the side of the pit by the arm 5 the wheel will bemoved toward the central slot and directly in line with jaws of thegrip. As shown in Fig. 4, one bearing of the shaft 7 is higher than theother, so that the shaft is inclined; but while this is a preferableconstruction, as it facilitates the backward movement of the shaft andwheel, it is not absolutely necessary, and the shaft may be level, ifdesired.

The shaft 7 is slid back to itsnormal position after the pressure isremoved from the bar 4, and thus the wheel 11 moved out of line of thegrip-jaws by the lever 12 on the rock-shaft 1. On the outer end ofthislever, which is connected to the rock-shaft in such a position that itis raised by the depression of the bar 4, is a weight 13, by which thelever is pulled down and the rock-shaft revolved when the pressure onthe bar is removed.

Connected to the lever 12 is a dash-pot 14, by means of which the returnmovement of the mechanism is controlled and any sudden jar of the partsprevented.

The extent of the movement of the mechanism, and consequently theposition of the bar 4 and wheel 11, is regulated by the adjustable pin15 on the lever 12, the lower end of which comes in contact with theprojection 16 and arrests the further movement of the lever and thus ofthe bar and wheel. It is always possible, therefore, by adjusting theposition of the pin 16 to bring the wheel 11 directly in line with thegrip-jaws and thus place the cable in the latter.

On the rock-shaft 1, between the bar 4 and lever 12, is afriction-clutch l7, operated by the hand-lever 18. By means of thisclutch it is possible to separate the rear end of the rock-shaft,carrying the bar l, from the front end, to which the lever 12 and arm 5are connected, and thus to detach the shifting-wheel 11 and itsimmediate parts from the action of the bar 4 when it is not desired toplace the cable in the grip. When thus detached, the weighted lever 12holds the wheel 11 out of line of the grip-jaws and prevents the cablefrom entering the latter.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: Then the car is shuntedonto the rails B B of the return-track, the several parts of themechanism are in their normal position, with the wheel 11, over whichthe cable is running, at one side out of line of the gripjaws, and thecable does not enter between the latter. As the car passes over therails the grip strikes the bar 4, and, sliding over it, presses it downin the position shown in Fig. 3. The depression of the bar, revolvingthe rockshaft 1, swings the arm 5, and by means of the latter slides theshaft 7 in the position shown in Fig. 4:, bringing the wheel 11 indirect line with the jaws of the grip and thus placing the cable withinthe latter in position to be gripped and connected with the car. As thecar starts on its return trip and the grip slides clear of the bar 4,releasing the pressure on the latter, the lever 12, which has beenraised by the depression of the bar, is pulled down by the weights onits outer end, and revolving the rock-shaft in the opposite directionmoves the several parts into their former normal position, thus bringingthe wheel 11 out of line of the grip and to one side of the path of thelatter as it passes. This mechanism may also be used along the road whenthe cables are changed or when the grip is disconnected from one cableand afterward connected with the other or second cable.

I claim as my invention 1. In mechanism for cable railways, in combination, a rock shaft, mechanism attached thereto by which the rockshaft is revolved by the passage of a car over the same, a s1iding shafthaving mounted thereon a wheel adapted to carry and guide the cable, andmechanism connecting the rock shaft and sliding shaft, whereby therevolution of the former slides the shaft and wheel, and brings thecable within the jaws of the cable grip, substantially as described.

2. In mechanism for cable railways, in combination, a rock shaft,mechanism attached thereto by which the rock shaft is revolved by thepassage of a car over the same, a sliding shaft having mounted thereon awheel adapted to carry and guide the cable, mechanism connecting therock shaft and sliding shaft whereby the revolution of the former slidesthe shaft and wheel and brings the cable Within the jaws of the cablegrip, and other mechanism attached to the rock shaft by which the partsare reversed after the passage of the car, substantially as described.

3. In mechanism for cable railways, in combination, the rock shaft 1having attached thereto the bar 4 adapted to be depressed by the cargrip; the sliding shaft 7 having the wheel 11, and the rocker arm 5, bywhich the revolution of the rock shaft slides the shaft 7 and wheel 11,substantially as described.

4. In mechanism for cable railways, in coinbination, the rock shaft 1having attached thereto the bar 4 adapted to be depressed by the cargrip; the sliding shaft 7 bearing the wheel 11; the rocker arm 5 bywhich the revolution of the rock shaft slides the shaft 7 and wheel 11;and the lever 12 by which the parts are re versed, substantially asdescribed.

5. In mechanism for cable railways, in combination, the rock shaft 1having attached thereto the bar 4 adapted to be depressed by the cargrip; the sliding shaft 7 bearing the wheel 11; the rocker arm 5connecting shafts 1 and 7, whereby the revolution of the rock shaftslides the shaft 7 and wheel 11; and the clutch 17 by which therockshaft is divided, substantially as described. Signed at New York city,in the county of New York and State of New York, this 11th day ofDecember, A. D. 1894.

LOUIS J IIIRT. \Vitn'csses':

WALTER P. PLUMMER, FRED S. KEMPER.

